In 1821, Missouri's statehood was delayed due to a prank. A senator jokingly suggested that all free Black people should leave the state, causing chaos and confusion.

In 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire destroyed over 1,500 buildings in just over 30 hours. Firefighters came from as far as New York, but different hose couplings prevented them from connecting to Baltimore's hydrants.

During World War II, British intelligence created a fake army using inflatable tanks and dummy soldiers to mislead German forces about the location of the D-Day invasion.

In 1859, the United States and the United Kingdom almost went to war over a pig. Known as the "Pig War," it began when an American farmer shot a British-owned pig that wandered onto his farm.

In 1920, the U.S. Postal Service banned the mailing of human beings after several incidents where children were sent via parcel post due to cheaper rates compared to train tickets.